Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-11-12
Wealthy Indians.
-" Society Verses

Kansas City Times.
A visitor to the Usage reservation,
Idaho, if he has a mind to study the
human race under varying condi-
lions, finds much of interest. He is
inter primoS among the aristocrats.
The Usage Indians are about the on
ly example now left in the United
States of a real aristocracy. They do
not depend upon government ra-
tions, as do the Cheyennes and 9TH
ers, at all, but have enough as their
own undisputed property to make
them the wealthiest community in
the country. Besides the land of the
reservation, which belongs to them
by a title hard to assail, they have
about 100000 bearing . per cent in
terest in the hands of the govern
ment. They are paid about $25O,0O0
a year in cash. The entire tribe
numbers only 1000, so that they are
actually the richest body of people
we have.
The Osages have all the attributes
of an ~aristocracy. They own the
land, do absolutely no work, have
plenty of money, know nothing of
barter and sale, and therefore not
much of the meanness which charac-
terizes all commercial classes. They
envy nobody, and are satisfied with
themselves and their customs. With
the virtues of aristocracy, they have
its vices. With generosity, they have
shiftlessness and laziness in perfec-
ton. Though magnificent pastures
lie before them for miles, few of
them take the trouble to own cattle,
the majority preferring to buy beef
already slaughtered and cut up from
the traders. They are not even hunt
ers and fishers. Their lives are spent
in lying around under tents and
shanties, eating to repletiOn, and fill
ing their blood with impurities which
they do not take exercise enough to
get rid Of. Bad habits have brought
on bronchial and %scrofulous diseases,
which are helping to still further re-
duce their numbers. They have nc
faith in white physicians, and their
own medicine mel have as much in
huence as a hundred years ago.
The government puts a premium
on reproduction by the system of dis.
tribution adopted. Each member OF
the tribe, including women and chill
dren, receives abont $l60 every year,
The more wives and children an
Usage has, therefore, the richer he is,
In spite of this encouragement, the
tribe is decreasing. A white physi'
clan at the agency estimates that the
rate of decrease is not less than , pei
cent ayearamong thefull bloods. The
half breeds are increasing. 1t can be
at once reckoned that in another hal
century the full hoods will have
gone and the splendid inheritance
will be in the possession of white
men and their children, even if NJ
new policy is adopted by the govern
ment to hasten the catastrophe.
The full bloods are nearly all hon
est and manly in their way. They
have an idea that everything on thu
reservation belongs to them, anC
they go behind the counters anC
among the goods of the post trader
as freely as though they were propri
etors. Up to a certain point they un
derstand business-debit and credit
but not much beyond the simples
forms. AS might be expected, the!
are chronically in debt. They wan
to buy everything they see, ant
think little of prices, and give ava!
as readily as they buy. Other tribe
not so well provided with world.
goods are fond of visiting the Osages
and on these occasions the custom G
smoking presents works to the disad
vantage of the Weather. Severa
hundred ponies and large amounts c
various property have thus been Civ